Knitting for a cause
A group of 18 women at RetireAustralia’s Wisteria Grove Retirement Village have combined knitting skills with compassion to craft beautiful woollen blankets for charity.
The knitting group at Wisteria Grove Retirement Village has made over 150 blankets for local nursing homes, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army
Over the past three years, the Broadview group has made over 150 blankets and distributed them to local nursing homes, disadvantaged groups, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
The knitting group’s coordinator, Billie Vincent, says that their donations are always “much appreciated, especially in this cold weather!
“We’ve received a lot of lovely certificates and letters from the groups we’ve donated to,” she says.
The knitting group meets every Monday and its members love the opportunity to gather and socialise. “It’s a get-together kind of thing, very friendly,” Ms Vincent says. “We talk while we knit!”
The benefits aren’t just social, according to Ms Vincent. “I think it’s exercise for the hands – a lot of the members have arthritis in their hands – and it’s a wonderful way to pass the time.”
The group’s numbers have grown substantially from six to the current 18, and many even donate skeins of wool along with their time and skills.
“One of our carers also went to an op shop and brought us back a great bunch of wool,” Ms Vincent says.
This wool, along with a $200 grant from the local council, a $150 donation from a generous resident and the ongoing support of the Wisteria Grove Retirement Village community, has enabled the group to keep on knitting. “We’re very fortunate,” Ms Vincent adds.
With this support, the knitting group looks forward to creating many more handmade blankets and hopes that they will make a difference to those in need.
